This pub closed in January 201, but
remarkably re-opened on 12th June 2013

A pub in crisis before it was even built, and adjacent to a road
with a similar problem!

The Black Bull stands on the corner of Torcross Road and
Victoria Road, just in to South Ruislip (where the Yeading Brook, 200 yards
north of it, is the dividing line between Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip).

When the Ruislip Manor estate was built at the site of this pub
stood a massive machine producing bricks or the mortar needed to build the
houses locally. When
the pub was built it was to be called the Brickmakers (Arms?) but for some
reason ended up being the Black Bull, and it has been called this ever since.

Torcross Road, on the corner of which it stands, also had a name
problem and was initially called Torbay Road, but this caused confusion with a
road only half a mile away with the same name in Rayners Lane and so its name
was changed.

Over the years the Black Bull has passed through many changes of ownership
and each seems to have their own idea of what will make it make money, (at one
time it had a reputation for food) and it has suffered from at least one suspicious
fire.

The pub underwent a re-fit in mid 2002 and now has a large
sun-deck to the side and reasonable sized garden to the rear. Most major sports
events are shown on the big screen TV. (Footnote - due to a problem with
planning the sun-deck was removed)

Where it is, by road

From Ruislip drive to Ruislip Manor and head down Victoria Road
under the railway bridge. Leave Ruislip Manor going straight on at two
roundabouts and the pub will be found on the left just as the road starts to
climb a small hill. There is a reasonable sized car park in front of it, or
street parking.

Info

Telephone Number - 020 8845 2818 ???

Web links that may interest you

Real ale

Yes

Access via public transport

Good, the
114
bus stops right outside the door and 100 yards towards Ruislip Manor on the
other side of the road, by the brook.

Pub Crawl Potential

Not great. The pub stands about 1/2 mile from any other, but
more or less equidistant from three. You could walk across the park opposite to
Ruislip Gardens and The Bell, or left out of the pub on
to Victoria Road and down to The Middlesex Arms,
or right and up to Ruislip Manor, where there are four pubs. Allow around 20
mins for the walk to any of the above.

Ruislip Online review from 2013.

I popped in on a very hot Sunday lunch-time
in the summer of 2013. The pub had recently been refurbished and looked very
nice and a smell of new carpet lingered in the air. The pub is much as it was
except that the area to the right of the bar has been knocked through where the
(second) toilets were and this now is larger and has doors out to the garden.
The bar location is unchanged and to the rear at the left of it is a pool table.

The pub has all around it flat screen TV
sets and on the day I called in was showing Irish Hurling on TV, the sound was,
er somewhat louder that it really needed to be and a small crowd were watching
enthusiastically. I think this defines the market they are aiming for, this will
become much as it was, a "local", they do not seem to be aiming for the "twin
set and pearls" brigade!

From the copious menu's dotted around it
appears they served food.

I had a pint of Theakstons real ale, which
was very nice, although nobody seemed to know which actual beer it was other
than Theaksons brewed it.

My last sight of it (The Black Bull) was viewed through an
alcoholic fog due to my rotten mates spiking my beer with everything from
the top shelf. Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton spent an evening drinking in
the lounge bar with a mob of hangers on, in the early 60's. When it
came time to leave, she led the way out through the saloon bar. The door to the
gents loo was next to the exit in those days, and Liz opened the door and
marched in. She earned a standing ovation and came out laughing. (See also
The Middlesex Arms as they may have gone there
also! ROL)

Typical 30's suburban pub. The (then) landlord in 2003 won
£18,000 for a £45 bet on the horses......

If you drive there "the Black Bull curse" will strike
your car and it will have to remain in the car park forever, and may even turn
in to a large van! (In order to try to stop the "van" part of this
curse a height restriction has been placed over the entrance to the car park
from Torcross Road, but not over the entrance from Victoria Road. Now I know
"white van man" is reckoned not to be the brightest button on the
tunic but....")